


Normal.

by TheRealKags



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Epilepsy, Gen, Karasuno Volleygays, Medication, Seizures, Sugamama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2016-08-01
Packaged: 2018-07-27 14:52:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7622965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRealKags/pseuds/TheRealKags
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hinata has epilepsy and the team doesn't know about it until he has a seizure during practice. After that his seizures become more and more frequent.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Finding Out

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first fanfic on here and I'm not sure what inspired it to be honest. I am by NO MEANS an expert on epilepsy or its affects. Sorry if I make any mistakes!

Hinata had epilepsy. No one on his team knew about it. He hadn't told them because he never thought it would be important, since he hadn't had a seizure in almost five months. He would soon realize he should've been honest all along.

That day he woke up with a headache. It wasn't too bad, so he just took some ibuprofen and rode to school. But he also felt off during the school day- he was unexplainably tired, he couldn't focus, and he kept forgetting things.

 _I'm fine,_ he thought. _It's nothing. I'm fine. But why do I feel so scared all of a sudden?_

"Oi, dumbass," Kageyama shouted as Hinata missed his fifth toss in a row. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Hinata replied, less harsh than usual.

After that, he finally hit a toss, though just barely. As he was getting ready to jump for the next one, he felt it. A spasm in his lower back that radiated down his thighs.

 _I'm fine,_ he tried to convince himself. _Just stay calm._

He made to jump for his next spike and as he reached the peak of his jump, all the muscles in his lower back seized up and he let out a yelp as he fell from his jump and his small body crumpled to the floor, consumed by darkness.

\-----

"Guys, I think he's coming to," he heard. Was that Nishinoya?

Yes, it was. When he opened his eyes, he was laying on his side and Noya was looking at him with panicked eyes. He rolled onto his back and saw the rest of the team crowded around him.

"Hinata! Are you alright?" Sugawara.

"Do you remember where you are?" Coach Ukai.

"Uhm..." Hinata said, hazily. "Gym? Practice?"

"Do you know what just happened?!" Noya said just a little too loudly, making Hinata blanch as his headache became worse than it already was.

"I, uh... had a seizure, right?"

The team gaped at him as he sat up and he felt heat rise in his head- which was still pounding, by the way.

"Daichi," Coach Ukai said. "Help Hinata to the bench so he can rest there." The coach turned to him. "I'm going to call your mom to pick you up. You need anything?"

Hinata shook his head in response as the third year helped him stand, practically carrying the small boy over to the bench and propping him up in a half-sitting position. Daichi sat down next to him and began making unneeded conversation.

"How do you feel?"

"Tired. Head hurts."

"Does that happen often?"

"Sometimes."

"Need anything?"

A shake of the head.

The team attempted to go back to practicing after being told by the coach, but they couldn't focus. What had just happened? They were all clueless but gave the tired middle blocker his space.

Within ten minutes, Hinata's mom was standing in the doorway of the gym. She ran over to her son who was already asleep on the bench, using Tsukishima's jacket as a pillow. The other players watched her talking with Coach Ukai and Takeda-sensei as she ran her hand through her son's hair. Soon, she and Takeda-sensei helped Hinata into his mom's car.

\-----

Hinata didn't go to practice the next morning, instead using the time to sleep. In fact, he didn't go to school at all, head still pounding and brain still fuzzy. He could never get used to the feeling his seizures caused since he doesn't get them all that often. He's only had nine- ten now- since he was thirteen. But the time between seizures has been lessening lately, enough to make him worried.

After resting most of the day as well as catching up on some missing work assignments, he was itching to go back to school the next day. The team deserved an explanation.

\-----

As soon as Hinata walked into the gym, all eyes were on him. Everyone froze for a second that felt like an eternity as volleyballs fell to the ground.

"Hinata!"

"Are you okay?"

"What the hell was that?!"

He was immediately bombarded with questions and not given time to answer before Daichi stepped in.

"Give him some space and let him explain," the captain said.

"Thanks for worrying," Hinata began, "but it's really not that big of a deal."

"Not a big deal?!" Kageyama interjected. "We thought you were dying!"

"Well it's called an epileptic seizure, moron," Hinata snapped. "Anyways, I didn't tell you before because I didn't think it would be important, but I have epilepsy."

"Why wouldn't it be important?" Tanaka said.

"Just let him talk," Suga said.

"Well," Hinata said. "I haven't had a seizure in a few months and I really don't get them often. I don't know, I was just kind of hoping you'd never have to see that," he said with a sheepish smile.

"So," Asahi began, "what're we supposed to do when that happens?"

"Make sure you turn me so I'm lying on my side," Hinata replied. "That way I won't choke on any saliva or puke or anything- not that I've ever puked before!" He added the last part when the others tensed up. "And don't do anything stupid, like don't put things in my mouth or something, and don't hold me down, either. But you also have to time it- but I don't have to go to the hospital or anything unless it lasts more than five minutes."

"That was... enlightening," Tsukishima mumbled.

After that, practice went by normally, except for the nervous glances he got from the other players. It was unnerving, really, but he was glad they knew now.


	2. a Worse One and a Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's the next part! I remember one of my friends having an EEG done and he was in the hospital for DAYS waiting to have a seizure so they could monitor it, but I guess Hinata has easily simulated seizures.

The next time he had a seizure was less than a month later on a Saturday. And this one was much worse. He was at home and he was in the kitchen getting a drink and as he got the glass from the cabinet, the seizure came without warning. He dropped his glass and tumbled to the ground, slamming his head on the edge of the counter on the way down. The glass he held shattered and sent shards into his skin as he lay convulsing on the ground.

His mom burst into the room at the noise and almost screamed at the sight in front of her- her son thrashing on the ground and bleeding. She turned him on his side and got her phone out to time it.

_2:25_

_2:57_

_3:48_

His seizing finally stopped after more than four minutes, his mom about ready to call an ambulance. He woke up to a worse pain in his head than from his past seizure, and pain on his right arm and back from where the glass stuck him. His mom got him into an upright position and looked at the wound on his head, deciding to take him to the hospital for fear of a concussion.

He was woozy and even vomiting on the way there, and when they got to the hospital he was examined almost immediately. After painfully picking out all the glass that was embedded in his skin and bandaging him up, they looked at the cut on his forehead- which was just above his right eyebrow. The doctor decided to stitch it and it took five to keep it secure. He was diagnosed with a mild concussion and was told to be extremely careful to keep any more seizures at bay.

Hinata didn't do anything that entire weekend and skipped school on Monday and Tuesday. He arrived at school on Wednesday after convincing his mom that he was fine and having her drive him. He went into his class and did his best do ignore his classmates staring at the bruised, stitched area on his forehead.

When he sat down in his seat, Kageyama leaned over and whispered, "what happened, dumbass?"

"I'm not a dumbass!" Hinata said a little too loudly, receiving a stern look from his sensei. "And I had another seizure on Saturday and hit my head pretty bad," he explained quietly.

At practice that afternoon, he had to explain the situation over and over again- and he wasn't even allowed to participate until the week after.

"I was just getting a glass from the cabinet," he began, "then all of a sudden my head went all _gwaaahh_ and the glass broke when it fell and it stuck all over my arms, and my head went _SLAM_ on the edge of the counter!"

He was then showered with questions and answered them all happily, loving the attention. Soon, he was sent to the bench while the others practiced. He stayed the whole time before his mom came and picked him up again.

\-----

Hinata was nervous. After his recent seizures, his neurologist wanted to perform an assessment that included an EEG, during which they wanted to stimulate a seizure. He didn't want to have another seizure. And to make things worse, he was just allowed back at practice and now he had to miss one. Why couldn't he just be normal? He didn't want everyone to have to worry about him and he certainly didn't want to miss practice.

"Hey, Daichi-san?" Hinata said nervously.

"What's up?"

"Well, my neurologist wanted to see me tomorrow, and it'll probably take all day, so I'll miss school and practice tomorrow."

"Yeah, okay," the captain said worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah!" Hinata replied with a smile. "I've just been having more seizures lately, that's all."

They went through practice normally and the next day, Hinata missed school and practice, just as planned. At the end of the day, he got texts from Kageyama.

 **Kageyama @ 4:45 pm** > where r u dumbass??

 **Kageyama @ 5:04 pm** > we need 2 practice b4 we have matches

 **Kageyama @ 5:28 pm** > u there?

 **Kageyama @ 6:57 pm** > ANSWER ME DUMBASS HINATA

 **Hinata @ 7:09 pm** > srry! they wanted to simulate a seizure today

 **Kageyama @ 7:12 pm** > oh. u ok?

 **Hinata @ 7:13 pm** > yeah just tired. and I was biting my lip the whole time

 **Kageyama @ 7:13 pm** > will u b at practice tomorrow?

 **Hinata @ 7:14 pm** > yeah

The next day, Hinata went into the gym with a big red spot on his lower lip. He was only allowed to do certain things now that his concussion was healed but he still had the stitches. He was scheduled for a follow up with his neurologist next Wednesday.

\-----

When he got to his appointment he was told that they wanted him to change medications.

 _Oh, great,_ he thought. _Now I'm just going to have more seizures till I get used to the medicine._

He and his mom took his prescription and left. He wondered how he'd do with the new medicine? Pushing the nervous thought out of his mind, he went home with his mom, but as he lay in bed, they came back. What if the medicine wasn't the right one? What if it had bad side affects? What if it increased the amount of seizures he had? He had so many questions, he thought he'd surely burst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again, PLEASE comment any mistakes or recommendations!


	3. Stairs and a Hospital

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's the next chapter! I hope you like it! I'm not sure if I have my facts right so please PLEASE tell me in the comments if I make any mistakes!!

He began his medication that day and the next few days were filled with worry. The only good thing that happened was that he got his stitches out and he was cleared to play again. For the first few days, everything seemed fine. But there was one day when everything went wrong.

It was Sunday night and Hinata was about to go downstairs to grab a clean uniform when, yet again, the seizure hit without warning and sent him tumbling down the hardwood stairs. By the time he was at the bottom, his mother was by his side and was timing the seizure.

_2:57_

_4:49_

She called an ambulance.

_5:56_

_7:29_

_8:23_

He finally stopped.

He wasn't waking up.

When the ambulance arrived, Hinata-san explained the situation in a panic, then grabbed Natsu and got into her car to follow the ambulance to the hospital.

Once there, he began seizing again. This one lasted about two minutes. After this one he woke up making pained, incoherent noises. He was gripping his left shoulder and when they looked at it, it was oddly square shaped. After X-raying it, they saw it was dislocated and gave him something to numb the pain before popping it back in. His arm was put in a sling and the doctor attempted testing him for a concussion, but his speech was slurred and barely understandable.

He soon fell asleep and upon waking up almost three hours later, he made a pitiful cry at the pain. The doctors gave him morphine through an IV and hooked him up to several wires to monitor his vitals before he began drifting back off to sleep.

Then, his phone rang. His mother took it from him and read the name.

"Kageyama is calling, Shou," she said. "Want me to answer it?" He nodded.

"Hello?" she said.

"Hey, dumb-" a pause. "I'm sorry, who is this?"

"I'm Shouyou's mother." At that, there was a long and awkward pause.

"Oh, well, uh..." Kageyama sounded uncomfortable. "Is Hinata there?"

"Well he's... unavailable."

"Is he okay?"

"Well he had a seizure late last night and fell down the stairs," she began. "He managed to get a concussion and dislocate his shoulder, and he was seizing for about eight minutes. Then he started again once we got to the hospital." She looked at her son, nearly asleep on the bed. "Poor Shou can't catch a break."

"Oh... uhm..." He seemed like he wanted to hide it, but the worry was obvious in his voice. "Tell him I hope he feels be-"

He was cut off by the sound of the phone dropping and Hinata-san yelling "Shouyou!"

He'd started seizing yet again. Kageyama was yelling on the other end of the line, asking what happened, if everything was okay. Hinata-san had her son on his side and nurses had already come in. Luckily, his third seizure in the past twenty-four hours lasted only a minute. Hinata woke up and he was bombarded with questions- Do you remember where you are? Are you nauseated? Do you remember your name?

Instead of answering, he began to cry. His shoulder hurt like hell, his head was pounding, his brain was fuzzy, he wanted to throw up, he was so, _so_ tired. He just wanted to sleep and forget this ever happened. He just wanted to be normal.

\-----

The next time he woke up, his brain was less fuzzy and he could think better. He groaned as he felt the pain in his arm, and his head still hurt. He was sore and aching all over and he was still nauseated, not to mention the bright light coming through the window and stabbing through his vision. He looked over and saw his mother asleep on the chair next to his bed. He moved around a bit on his bed and his mother woke up.

"Hey, Shou," she said with a warm, motherly smile. "How do you feel?"

"Great," he said sarcastically.

His mother chuckled. "Need any more pain medicine?"

He shook his head, blanching at the motion. "Nah. When can we get out of here?"

"They want to keep you one more day, just to make sure you don't have anymore seizures. We don't want you falling down the steps again."

"Oh, yeah. I'm sure that falling down the stairs made everything worse?"

She nodded. "Hitting your head so much is probably what brought on the second and third seizures."

"I had three?!" He didn't quite remember much of what happened, and his own loud voice made his head spin.

She nodded. "You hungry?"

"Not really."

He always tried to act as lively as possible after things like this happened so his mom wouldn't be so worried.

At around 3:00, some of the team came to visit- Suga, Daichi, Noya, and Kageyama. He still wasn't feeling well, but he was happy to be able to see everyone. Judging by their faces when they walked in, he looked as bad as he felt.

The team was shocked when they walked in. The redheaded boy who was always so jumpy was laying in a hospital bed with an IV and several wires attached to his small form. He was pale and his arm limply hung in a sling. Overall, he just looked exhausted. But he still smiled upon seeing them.

"Hey, guys!" he said with mock energy.

"He's on pain medicine so he might act a little... strange," his mother piped in.

"What?" Hinata said. "I'm not acting strange at all!"

But the way he pouted afterwards caused the boys to chuckle. Hinata sat forward, seemingly about to get up.

"I'll come over there and wipe those grins off your faces!" He said.

"Calm down, Shou," Hinata-san said with a laugh.

Soon he was calm and the boys talked about his recovery- when he'd be allowed to go home, when he'd come back to school, when he'd be able to play volleyball again. He really, really didn't want to have to miss training camp. He was looking forward to competing against other schools. He'd just have to wait and see.

\-----

His stay in the hospital was incredibly boring. He wasn't allowed to walk around or do anything without someone with him- even using the bathroom! He always had to be supervised in case he had another seizure- which he didn't. After two long days, he was finally discharged. His shoulder was still hurting and they said he was allowed to return to volleyball in six weeks, but he had to be careful with his left arm. He was allowed back at school the following Monday and he was just itching to have something to do again.

When he went back home, he spent most of his time either playing volleyball one-armed, or catching up on work he'd missed. His mother got all his work for that week from the school so he could do it at home. He was ecstatic when Monday came and he went to school with a bright smile, ready for things to go back to normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright! I hope you liked it. the next bit will be up tomorrow. it's kind of short and it's more of a conclusion/epilogue of sorts.  
> I added in the bit about the shoulder because I think I dislocated my shoulder somehow (don't ask) and it hurts SO bad.  
> see you tomorrow! remember to comment about any mistakes of recommendations


	4. Resolve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay this is a really really short one, but here's the conclusion! read the notes at the end to hear about my next work that I'm starting soon.

It's been three months since his last seizure- that horrible one that landed him in the hospital- so that means the new medication is working. He never expected total control over his seizures, but this feels like a miracle. He doesn't spend his days worrying about when a seizure will hit, though the thought still lies in the back of his mind.

He returned to practice a month ago and is now able to fully participate again. He finally managed to catch up on his school work- with Yachi's help of course. It took him a few days to get used to being back on the court, but by the time training camp with Nekoma arrived, he was back to normal.

But, knowing his luck, that's when another seizure struck. It was the third day and they were in the midst of a practice match when the gym echoed with a yelp and he was suddenly on the ground seizing. The team was shocked, but Suga almost immediately took action, rolling the boy onto his side and not letting anyone else near him until the seizing stopped. When Hinata woke up, he saw the horrified stares of the other team and, once again, felt heat rise in his face.

"You okay?" Suga asked, his worried teammates behind him.

Hinata nodded as the setter helped him up. It's no wonder why he had a seizure- his sleeping schedule was all messed up. He walked to the bench where Kiyoko handed him a bottle of water. His still weak hands had trouble opening it and Suga helped him do so, also helping him drink it.

"Want me to call your mom?" Coach Ukai asked. "The seizure was a minute and a half."

"That's fine," he replied. "It's probably because my sleep schedule is off."

"How do you feel?"

"Tired. Headache."

Suga walked Hinata back to the dorm and got him situated in his bed, staying with him in case he had another seizure- which he didn't. The rest of the week was uneventful besides the team having to make sure Hinata got enough sleep. After his seizure, they all went and made sure he was comfortable- even Tsukishima. They all reassured him that the Nekoma players wouldn't judge him or look at him differently.

Right now, it's been five months since then. They're right about to compete at nationals and Hinata isn't afraid anymore. He's not afraid of what others think. Does he desire to be normal? Yes. But he doesn't let it bother him. He's a Little Giant on and off the court, fighting an enemy bigger than himself. But with his teammates by his side, he can conquer anything. He's no different from any of them.

To them,

He's normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you've stuck with me this long, thank you so much!! this was my first fic and I was so nervous at the beginning, but I think it turned out pretty well. thanks to all the commenters and those who left kudos.  
> also, Haikyuufan has a really good epilepsy AU and has been giving me some reassurance along the way so far, so go check them out!  
> okay, so my next work will be titled Deteriorating and the first chapter will be up on August 4th on AO3. It's another Hinata centric one because I love my lil sunshine so much. I have major plans for this one and I've already started writing it so check back on Thursday!


End file.
